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> こちらは負傷者を一人抱えている

"We are carrying a wounded person alone"

or is it

"We have one wounded person?"

In the second case why 一人 is placed after 負傷者


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2023-10-21T03:59:17.273
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What does 一人 mean in a sentence like this?


The latter, and there is basically no confusion (The first interpretation is
not entirely impossible, but...).

To understand the strucutre, consider

> こちらは負傷者をたくさん抱えている (We have many wounded person).
>
> こちらは負傷者を n人 抱えている

I guess the placement has some freedom because the ひとり here works as an
adverb.

You are right in that

> こちらは一人負傷者を抱えている

is similar in meaning.

Your confusion can also be justified, as in:

> （太郎は）悩みを一人[で]抱えている (He is carrying his worries alone = He doesn't open up).

* * *

I really can't seem to come up with a compelling and clear reason why the
second interpretation is the only choice. Probably:

  * こちらは…を抱えている structure is mostly used in situation where "we" are working as a team: "This side, we, have..." so carrying somebody alone doesn't fit
  * （負傷者を）抱える in this case is more fugirative than physically carrying somebody
  * If Alice and Bob are together taking care of a wounded person but you are carrying a wounded person only by yourself, you would say "こちらは負傷者を一人 **で** 抱えている"


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